§ Mr. DewarTo ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the most recent figures for the total number of(a) widows in Scotland (b) widows who are also householders in Scotland and (c) widow householders who are also in receipt of housing benefit.
§ Mrs. Gillian Shephard[holding answer 22 February 1990]: It is estimated that in May 1988 22,000 widows in Scotland who were receiving widows' benefit or war widows' pension were also receiving housing benefit. Information is not collected about numbers of other widows receiving housing benefit whose income did not include these widows' benefits. The number of widows and widow householders in Scotland is not available.